What is mehendi? Mehendi patterns: tattoo

Surely you've seen photos of Indian beauties whose hands and feet are decorated with bizarre dark brown patterns, called mehendi. Recently, this art has gained immense popularity. What is mehendi? What these patterns mean and how they are painted - you will learn all this in the article.

What is mehendi?

This is the traditional art of painting the hands, feet, or body with paste made from powdered dry leaves of Lavsonia, i.e. henna. This substance, as a rule, has a coloring from cherry red to brown, can change it with time or under the influence of a number of other factors. Coffee, lemon, tea, essential oils are sometimes added to the paint to achieve a particular texture, odor or shade. The mehendi painting became known in the Middle East and North Africa more than 5000 years ago. Archaeologists even found mummies with patterns of henna on their hands.

In India, it has become an indispensable wedding ritual, but it is also painted during major holidays: Karva-chauth, Tej, Diwali, Ramzan and others.

Today, the temporary mehendi tattoo is widespread all over the world. The reasons are simple: the unique beauty of the result, safety and painlessness of the procedure.

At the Indian wedding

What is mehendi in the Indian tradition of marriage? Weddings are known for their many rituals. In addition, in India, marriage is not a one-day ceremony. Sometimes it stretches for a whole week of celebrations. What is mehendi for the bride and groom? To the wedding, exquisite patterns are put on the hands and feet of a woman, and the man is drawn a small symbolic design. In this festive event the relatives of the bride and groom and close friends take part . This is a very important part of Hindu and Muslim weddings in India.

The ceremony takes place a few days before the wedding or on the pre-wedding night. Patterns mehendi draws a professional artist or relative.

Henna, which is derived from a flowering plant, symbolizes the evolution of a woman named from an innocent girl to a woman. In some regions, henna inflicts future mother-in-law or a sister-in-law. The ritual usually takes place in the house of the bride and includes festive traditional songs, dances, fun and a meal. Not only the culprit of the event, but all the relatives during this ceremony decorate themselves with a mehendi painting.

Henna remains on the arms and legs until the day of the wedding and becomes darker under the influence of air. The future bride should not leave her home after the mehendi ceremony until the wedding.

In the Indian culture, the darkening of henna symbolizes the degree of acceptance of the bride by the groom's family. Her shade can also indicate how happy and successful marriage will be.

Practical benefits

But apart from the ritual component, the mehendi has a rather mundane purpose. Weddings are often associated with nervous experiences. Mehendi is designed to prevent negative emotions, because it is applied to the hands and feet, where there are many nerve endings, and helps to relax and pacify the person. In addition, henna is an antiseptic that can protect against viral diseases, completely undesirable before the wedding. Any minor cuts, burns and scratches that can happen during many rituals and customs will be healed thanks to the special composition of the paint for the painting.

Popular patterns

• Peacocks - this is a beautiful and feminine design, widely distributed in the painting for brides.

• Buta (Indian cucumber or paisley) - this motif, like a thick droplet. They can be very beautifully combined with each other and various small shapes, resulting in a unique pattern.

• Large round motifs. Harmonious and aesthetic, they just ask for their palms.

• Flower patterns - what can be more tender and feminine? Here are some exquisite "gloves" you can draw with henna.

• Geometric figures and lines - in such compositions there is no central motive and basic idea, but the fine details and freedom of flight of the artist's imagination make them equally attractive.

Any traditional pattern can be refreshed by adding color and sequins.

Also in the modern tradition of drawing a wedding mehendi it is very common to hide in the quaint pattern the name of the groom. During the celebrations a man must find him.

Mehendi for Beginners

Today this art has found admirers around the world, and more and more craftsmen want to learn how to create exquisite drawings on the body. Someone wants to be able to do them for themselves, and someone even turns this occupation into a business.

Drawings of henna or biotate are popular during the season in seaside resort towns, at festivals of Indian culture and simply as part of the model's image on thematic photo sessions. Of course, for those who can draw well, it will be easy enough to learn this painting. For all others, and also for saving time, there are special stencils for mehendi. You can buy ready, and you can make them yourself. In addition, you will need paint to draw mehendi. For beginners it will be easier to buy a ready mix, which is sold in the packaging in the shape of a horn. Henna from it is easily squeezed out, and you can immediately draw it.

How to learn to make mehendi?

Before you start applying the pattern on the skin, always check to see if the person has an allergic reaction to henna. Do a test on a small area and then continue.

To draw mehendi, first try to make basic elements: points, commas, lines. Learn how to depict the desired thickness, following the selected pattern. Then circle your hand on A4 sheet and try painting the outline with a painting. When it turns out, you can try to make drawings to yourself and friends.

But, of course, there will be drawings, the level of which is too complicated, or those that require an ideal symmetry. Then you can buy stencils for mehendi. Basically, they can be divided into two groups:

• Made of perforated silicone, which sticks to the skin;
• Transferable patterns on paper, working on the principle of a carbon copy.

They come in different forms:

• Small ornaments;
• Strips with a pattern that are convenient to close around the wrist or ankles;
• Ready-made compositions for hands or feet.

The choice of materials and drawings for mehendi is huge, you will surely find everything you need for this interesting creativity.